For a successful office restroom cleaning program, it is important to be mindful of what surfaces one is dealing with, the soils to be removed from those surfaces, the proper solvents to use on the soils, and the schedule that will be needed.
Surfaces
There are several common surfaces that you will find in an office restroom. Common surfaces on floors are ceramic tile, vinyl composite tile, and glazed tile. Paint and vinyl usually cover walls, and sometimes you will find wallpaper. Restrooms always have glass mirrors. Sink and tub surfaces are usually made of baked enamel or porcelain. Generally, toilets and urinals are porcelain. You will find Formica on partitions and counters. Restrooms often have a lot of stainless-steel surfaces on dispensers, partitions, push plates, and kick plates. Faucets, bright work, and trim are often made of chrome.
Soils
Know what soils you will need to clean off of surfaces. The soils in a restroom are different from the soils in the rest of the office. You may find the same general dirt and dust there, but you’ll also find biological matter. Some soils will need special cleaning agents to remove them in a safe manner without damaging surfaces.
Solvents
Know what solvents you will need to use to remove soils from surfaces. All solvents used in restroom cleaning and sanitizing are water based with a “pH” value. pH is basically the measure of a solvent’s acidity. Acidic cleaners are usually less than a pH of 6.5. The most acidic cleaners have a 1.5 pH value. Neutral cleaners have a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Alkaline cleaners have a pH value greater than about 7.5. You’ll want to make sure the cleaners you are using are strong enough to completely clean and disinfect the office restroom without harming any surface finishes.
Schedule
You can schedule office restroom cleaning daily, weekly, monthly, or even annually. Cleaning frequency depends on the task that you need completed, requirements of the facility, budget, and other factors. Generally, basic restroom cleaning should be on a daily schedule with normal to regular usage. However, smaller offices may only need their restrooms cleaned a few times or even once a week. You may only need to descale restroom fixtures (remove built up minerals) weekly or monthly. This depends on the use of the facility and the water hardness (mineral content of the water). In the Phoenix metropolitan area, water hardness can be higher, so descaling fixtures may need to be more frequent than other areas of the US.
For more information about commercial office cleaning, please read 10 Reasons Your Office Should Invest in Commercial Cleaning Services.
